


Multiple Variables

by misskatieleigh



Category: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Background Relationships, Cassian Andor/Bodhi Rook - Freeform, K-2SO is a shuttle, M/M, Robot/Human Relationships, and also a droid, for a while, it's complicated - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-09
Updated: 2019-03-05
Packaged: 2019-03-28 23:39:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 17,341
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13914624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/misskatieleigh/pseuds/misskatieleigh
Summary: Fighting back the panic clawing at his throat, Bodhi looked around. Maybe he could talk his way out of this still. “Are - are you talking over the comm system? How did you even get on this ship?”“I am not on this ship.”Bodhi took a deep breath, distrust warring with relief in his chest, but then the voice continued.“Iamthe ship. And you are about to make a terrible mistake.”





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Bright_Elen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bright_Elen/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Iterations](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10901544) by [Bright_Elen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bright_Elen/pseuds/Bright_Elen). 
  * Inspired by [Set Primary Objective](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10610019) by [SassySnowperson (DramaticEntrance)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DramaticEntrance/pseuds/SassySnowperson). 



> Happy Birthday to the lovely [Bright_Elen](http://archiveofourown.org/users/bright_elen)! This is for you, I love you a ton!
> 
> MASSIVE THANKS to rogueshadows for encouraging me along the way and to sassysnowperson for kicking my words in the right direction. Any mistakes are mine!

Bodhi dropped the shuttle out of hyperspace and leaned back to look at NiJedha coming into focus through the viewport. Except, somehow, he wasn’t looking at NiJedha. In fact, he wasn’t looking at any planet that he recognized, which was definitely a problem.

“What the kriff...” he muttered, pulling up the star chart on his HUD. The known galaxy lit up in front of him, his own shuttle a tiny blip among the stars. The blip on the chart said he was at NiJedha. His own eyes said otherwise, and he trusted them, considering the last three years of his life spent making the same loop between Eadu and what was once home. 

“Okay, so where am I?” It was futile to pose the question out loud. 

Less so when someone answered. “You are currently orbiting the uninhabited planet of Josken III.”

Bodhi whipped around, nearly jumping out of his skin at the sound. Heart racing, Bodhi looked for the intruder on his ship, but he was alone in the cockpit. “Who is that? And where are you?”

There was no answer. 

“You’re trespassing on Imperial property. If you give yourself up now, and...and fix my shuttle, I’ll let you go.” 

“That is not proper protocol, Ensign Rook. Imperial security statute R7S1.8 requires you to detain all intruders for questioning.”

 _Fuck._ Someone must have found out. Someone must have heard him talking to Galen. How had he ever thought someone like him could make a difference? He couldn’t even defect properly.

Fighting back the panic clawing at his throat, Bodhi looked around. Maybe he could talk his way out of this still. “Are - are you talking over the comm system? How did you even get on this ship?”

“I am not on this ship.”

Bodhi took a deep breath, distrust warring with relief in his chest, but then the voice continued. 

“I _am_ the ship. And you are about to make a terrible mistake.”

Bodhi pinched himself, hard, then winced. _Shit,_ that hurt _._ “Okay, so I’m pretty sure I’m not dreaming or hallucinating. Did you just say that _you’re_ the ship?”

“Correct. Also, I am monitoring your vitals and can confirm that you are awake. Whether or not you ingested unsanctioned drugs is on your own conscience.”

“I think I’d rather be hallucinating right now.” He sat down on the floor of the cockpit, not bothering to climb back into the pilot’s seat. It seemed fairly pointless to pretend that he was going to fly himself anywhere, not without the appropriate charts to keep him from crashing through the center of a star. That was aside from the greater problem, where his ship could apparently change course at will, but he was not thinking about that for the moment. He was supposed to be defecting, not losing his grip on reality.

“Okay, let’s just go with ‘you are the ship’. Have you always been the ship? Or is this a new development?” Bodhi crossed his legs, one over the other, and leaned back against the wall of the shuttle, reaching up to pull off his goggles. His head was starting to ache. 

“I uploaded myself onto this vessel when it was docked at Oradin Spaceport -”

Bodhi cut in. “Wait, you uploaded _yourself_? Does that mean there’s another version of you that’s not currently a ship?”

“Irrelevant to our situation, but yes. The original version of me still exists.”

Bodhi gestured around himself vaguely. “I don’t know, seems fairly relevant. Where is this original version?”

“My current whereabouts are unknown, as I am no longer within communication range.”

“I feel like this is going to get confusing.” Bodhi pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes. “Do you have a name?”

“My designation is K-2SO.”

Bodhi sat up straight, eyes going wide. He scrambled onto his knees, and clutched his goggles in one hand. “That’s a KX droid designation. You’re Imperial?” 

Somehow, the disembodied voice sighed, and Bodhi felt the strangest sensation that someone was rolling their eyes at him. It was...unsettling, to say the least. 

“Former Imperial. As of last communication with my...self - you are correct, that is confusing - I was with the Rebellion.”

All the air left his body in a rush, and Bodhi fought back the urge to just lay down on the floor. “I don’t understand any of this. If you’re with the Rebellion, why keep me from going to Jedha?”

“You intend to attempt contact with Saw Gerrera. He is a volatile man, affiliated with the Partisans. I can predict with ninety-three percent certainty that you will be detained, possibly tortured. Based on evidence from previous encounters with the Rebellion, his history of distrust and paranoia will likely lead him to destroy your message without even listening to it.”

Sitting back on his heels, Bodhi closed his eyes. Moisture welled up behind his eyelids, a combination of exhaustion, and stress, and disbelief. Would Galen knowingly send him to be tortured? For nothing? 

The voice, K-2SO, broke in again. “Your heart rate and respiration levels are elevated. Have I caused you distress?”

Bodhi laughed, letting the tears slide down his face freely. “Distress? No, I’m perfectly fine. I’ve only been spied on for the past who knows how many months, my privacy invaded, my only chance at redemption shot in the foot by a droid that claims to both be a ship and formerly an Imperial enforcer.” Bodhi’s voice grew louder the longer he talked, only stopping to drag in a breath. He swiped at his cheeks with the back of his hand, shaking his head at the absurdity of it all. “Yeah, life’s kriffin’ perfect.”

“I detect sarcasm in your tone. That is neither called for nor helpful to the current situation.”

Lower lip stuck out in an exaggerated pout, Bodhi clasped his hands in front of himself. “Oh, have I offended your delicate sensibilities? How terrible for you.” 

“None of this is helpful. Where is the message from Galen Erso?”

Bodhi’s hands twitched, but he kept himself for reaching down to his boot, the datastick tucked inside suddenly an intensely vivid pressure against his ankle. “Can you...see me?”

“There is not a camera in this part of the shuttle, so at the moment, I cannot.”

A small part of Bodhi’s anxiety eased, rushing back in at the next moment. “What do you mean _in this part of the shuttle_?” His mind flashed over the months he’d spent on this ship, alone for long stretches of time, interspersed with moments where the loneliness led him to the relief of his own hand, or, less often, an anonymous guest. “ _Where are there cameras on my ship_?”

“The cargo compartment is equipped with a security camera, downloaded to Imperial databanks at every security checkpoint. This feature, as well as the auditory recording devices on board, have been disabled.” K-2SO paused, then continued a moment later. “You have very little in the way of self-preservation skills. I am surprised that you were not caught before I started helping you.”

Bodhi climbed to his feet, grasping at the back of the pilot’s chair. The cockpit of the shuttle was exactly four paces across, five to the ladder that went down to the hold. He knew every inch of that space intimately, and he started to aimlessly wander back and forth, folding his hands together at the base of his skull like the pressure there would keep him from flying apart. He wished there was some point he could focus on, direct his questions toward, instead of feeling like he was talking to himself. 

“Why are you trying to help me? Or rather, why were you? I only decided that I would deliver the message yesterday.”

K-2SO didn’t answer for a moment. Then, the HUD lit up, and a recording of him loading the shuttle began. The picture was low quality, flickering every few moments, but it clearly showed Bodhi using a hovercart to load crates into the hold. A stormtrooper in spotless white plastoid stood just at the edge of the image, blaster held loosely in their hands. The recording shifted, the timestamp indicating that hours had passed. Bodhi was sitting on the floor, leaning back against one of the crates, his face in his hands. It shifted again, this time to him unloading the crates, Galen Erso standing in watch. Galen was terrible at keeping his focus on the crates, eyes darting to Bodhi every few seconds. 

He hadn’t realized that Galen was watching him that closely. 

Bodhi cleared his throat. “Maybe to you, that’s an explanation, but I don’t understand.”

K-2SO replied, “According to my records, this is the date on which you learned of your mother’s death.”

Bodhi walked over to the console and shut off the HUD. “Nope. We’re not discussing that.”

“You asked -”

“Not. Discussing.”

“Fine. Moving on.” K-2SO released a short burst of static. It sounded like annoyance. _Good._ “On four recorded occasions you gave your allotted rations to juveniles that approached your ship, leaving yourself without sufficient sustenance. You prevented stormtroopers from firing into a crowd on one recorded occasion. You experience guilt for your connection with the organization that occupies your home world -”

“Not enough to turn down the paycheck,” Bodhi muttered to himself, then louder, “Fine, we’ve established that I’m not a terrible person. Good for me. That doesn’t explain how you got on my ship in the first place, though.”

“You were distracted at the time.”

Bodhi drew his eyebrows together. “Distracted.”

“Otherwise occupied.” K-2SO’s vocal register did not change, yet somehow sounded conflicted. 

“Occupied by _what_?” Bodhi asked, already guessing at the answer. 

“By whom, actually. The name he gave you was Willix, but his real name is Cassian Andor.”

Bodhi collapsed into the pilot’s chair and drew his knees up against his chest, wrapping his arms around his shins. “Great. The implications of that aren’t completely terrible at all.” 

“If it reduces your conflict, his assignment was only to detain you. Everything else that occurred was of his own choosing.”

Bodhi pushed his face against his knees, considered screaming, and decided it wasn’t worth the effort. “I think I’ll push off that crisis of conscience for another time.”

“I’ll make a note.”

Bodhi shook his head. “Thanks.”

The HUD turned on again. Bodhi reached out and shut it off.

“You must realize that I can turn off manual access to that.”

Bodhi shrugged, even though K-2SO couldn’t see it. “You haven’t yet. We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.”

Another burst of static. “Fine. Now, can we go back to discussing the message that’s hidden in your boot?”

Bodhi’s head shot up. “I thought you couldn’t see in here!”

“You put it in your boot in the cargo hold. Poor self-preservation skills, remember?”

Sheepishly, Bodhi relaxed, reaching down to loosen the fastening on his boot. “Right. Fine, here’s the message. I haven’t listened to it. Galen said I needed to get it to Saw.”

“Galen Erso has not had contact with Saw Gerrera for fifteen years. There is a sixty-eight percent chance that he is not aware that Saw and the Partisans are no longer in cooperation with the Rebellion.”

Bodhi stared at the datastick in his hand for a moment, flipping it around idly. “Why not just take me directly to the Rebellion then? Let them sort things out, if you’re so sure that Saw is dangerous.”

“An Imperial pilot in an Imperial ship shows up outside a classified Rebellion base. What do you see as the outcome of this scenario?”

Bodhi made a sound like an explosion. “Dead Imperial pilot.”

“Correct. So instead, we listen to the message, determine its usefulness, and then travel to a location where I can make contact with Cassian, without both of us exploding.”

Bodhi plugged the datastick into the console and watched the image of Galen Erso flicker to life in front of his eyes. 


	2. Chapter 2

Bodhi had watched the holo-message from Galen three times while K-2SO listened. After that, he had asked for privacy. K-2SO shut off his auditory capacities in the cockpit, but the sound of Bodhi's shouts still filtered through, echoing in the empty shuttle. In comparison to Cassian, Bodhi was very emotive, his face betraying his thoughts easily, hands cutting through the air to emphasize frustration, or excitement, or joy. It was a good thing he wasn't a spy, all things considered. Still, the sound of his shouting unsettled K-2SO in ways that his processes could not comprehend. 

Perhaps the shuttle was affecting him, limiting him somehow. When he returned to his original body, things would make sense again. 

K-2SO watched as Bodhi climbed down the ladder from the cockpit into the ship's hold, jumpsuit unzipped to his waist, the arms tied around his hips. He walked over to one of the jump seats built into the wall of the shuttle and sat down. “Thanks.” Bodhi reached up to rub at the back of his neck. “So, now what?”

K-2SO considered for a moment before answering. “The likelihood of the council taking action based on Dr. Erso’s message is only thirty-two percent, despite the significance of the message itself. His continued affiliation with the Empire does not help this estimation.”

“They'll think it's a trap.”

“To speak bluntly, yes.”

Bodhi sighed. “Great. Perfect. _Kriff_.”

“An accurate sentiment.”

Bodhi stood up, paced across the width of the shuttle, and braced his hands against the wall, head hanging down. “We need a plan.” His head shot up, and he spun around, looking frantically around the compartment. “No, wait - that's it.”

“What exactly are you referencing, Ensign Rook?”

Bodhi began pacing again, tapping the wall lightly and turning around at the end of each pass across the floor. “We need to convince the council that there's an actual threat. A reason for them to trust Galen. We need the plans, Two.”

“In addition to what?”

Bodhi stopped, frowning. “In addition to nothing. Well, I suppose in addition to me. What are you talking about?”

K-2SO had never wished for a body as much as he did at that moment. Well, perhaps when the pilot had been crying over his mother. He had...complicated feelings about that. Another problem to solve when he wasn't confined to a shuttle. 

“You said ‘we need the plans too’.”

The corner of Bodhi's mouth twitched up. “Not too as in also, Two as in you. K-2SO.” He chuckled. “Unless you'd prefer ‘ominous disembodied voice’, but that's kind of a mouthful.”

K-2SO released another burst of static. “I am not ominous.”

The pilot’s smile grew, and then, lowering the register of his voice mockingly, he said, “You’re making a terrible mistake.” His voice returned to his normal tone, and he spoke through a halting laugh. “Slightly dramatic, don’t you think?”

K-2SO absolutely did not record several seconds of the pilot’s laughter and store it in his memory caches. That would be a completely frivolous action with no bearing whatsoever on the mission at hand. One of them needed to keep their priorities straight.

“We need to contact Cassian and let him know about the message.”

Bodhi walked back over to the ladder, stopping with his hands on the rails and one foot raised to the lowest rung. “Um. This might seem silly, but today has been full of surprises, so I’m just going to ask. Are you going to let me fly the ship, Two?”

Beneath the edge of humor in the pilot’s voice, there was a thread of worry. K-2SO imagined that being completely at the mercy of someone else, especially an ‘ominous disembodied voice’, was an unpleasant feeling. He had experienced it himself, on the rare occasion that a mission required him to wear a restraining bolt. He trusted Cassian completely, and he still did not care to be subject to his authority to that extent. To have his autonomy stripped away, like he had done to Bodhi, without any of that trust to back it up. It was an oversight that he was not proud of, but that he could, hopefully, attempt to rectify. 

Bodhi had no particular reason to trust him, yet, but the idea that he might flickered around the edges of K-2SO’s programming pleasantly. 

“I will cede control of the shuttle back to its pilot, Ensign Rook. But I must be the one that makes contact with the rebels. Is that a fair compromise?”

The pilot nodded, then stepped back from the ladder, disappearing into the small pilot’s quarters set behind a metal door at the front of the hold. He returned carrying what appeared to be a battered holopad under one arm, smiled nervously in the direction of one of the cameras and climbed up to the cockpit. 

K-2SO was slightly impressed that he hadn’t noticed Bodhi locating the recording devices during their conversation. Either Bodhi was a better spy than his initial observation had concluded, or he was more distracted by the pilot that he had allowed himself to accept. Possibly both. 

Releasing the lockout on the guidance controls, and reorienting the ship in its actual position in space, K-2SO spoke through the cockpit speakers. “The shuttle is yours, Ensign.”

K-2SO’s systems noted an accessory had been plugged in to the shuttle’s control board. He checked the connection, and discovered that it was the holopad that Bodhi had carried up with him. A holopad with a working camera. Turning it on, K-2SO observed the pilot. He was much closer to the camera than he had been to any recording device on the shuttle prior, his features standing out in crisp focus. Arguably attractive, by most sentient standards. Bodhi looked at the holopad, and smiled softly. 

“Can you see me yet, Two?”

K-2SO replied, his volume turned down to its lowest setting. “Yes, Ensign Rook. I - appreciate the thought behind this action, although it is unnecessary.”

The pilot’s mouth tightened a little, tension forming around his eyes. “You can call me Bodhi, you know. Seems like saving me from potential torture might put us on a first name basis. And it’s easier for me to talk to you, if I have a place to look.”

“I understand. Thank you, Bodhi. I...don’t suppose I could convince you of a different nickname?”

“Nope.”

“Right. I suppose Two is...appropriate, given the circumstances.”

Bodhi put his hands on the controls and straightened his shoulders. “Alright, Two. Where are we going, then?”

Two sent the coordinates through to the flight systems, watching the way Bodhi’s shoulders eased as he pulled up the HUD and saw the star chart match the view outside the shuttle. He took a deep breath, calculated the hyperspace jump, and set the shuttle into motion. 

The unsettled feeling returned to Two’s processes, an idea that he had not prevented trouble, but pushed it off for a later time. He attempted to calculate the odds of Bodhi’s survival in the face of the innumerable obstacles ahead. They weren’t very good, and somehow, this was becoming unacceptable. 

Perhaps Cassian would be able to give him some perspective. 

***

*** 

Cassian frowned at the message that appeared on his datapad, pausing with a cup of caf halfway to his mouth. He squinted at the screen in confusion, and set the cup down. 

“Kay, why did you send me a message? You’re sitting right across from me.”

Kay looked up from the coupling he was dismantling, stripping a series of blackened wires from the damaged piece. “I did not send you a message, that would be absurd.”

Looking down at the ‘pad again, Cassian's eyebrows rose toward his hairline. “These are your encryption codes. So, you've either been corrupted, compromised, or you're attempting to play a trick on me.”

Kay held out his hand, and Cassian shrugged, turning the screen toward the droid. His optics flickered for a moment, processes running, then he made a sharp noise. “Oh. No, this is from me.”

Cassian stood up. “Okay, let's go run some diagnostics. Clearly, something is wrong with your programming.”

Kay gave a short buzz of affront. “I can run my own diagnostics, thank you. That will be unnecessary, however, as this message is from the _other_ me.”

Cassian sat back down, picked up his cup, and drained it in one long swallow. His head hurt already. “There needs to be an explanation coming very quickly, Kay.”

The droid held up a finger. “Interesting story. What do you remember about Oradin Spaceport?”

Cassian closed his eyes and thought for a moment, mentally scanning through past missions. Oradin was mostly under Imperial control, though there were a few other groups operating under the radar there, mostly scavenging for shipments that could go ‘missing’ and sold off to the highest bidder. Oradin was nowhere, nothing to distinguish it from a hundred other ports. Except, maybe, for one thing. “Oh. There was that pilot.”

If Kay could roll his eyes, he would be doing it constantly. Instead, he tipped his head to one side, which had a similar effect. “Yes. And while you were ‘handling’ the pilot, I was downloading a copy of myself into his shuttle.”

Cassian grimaced. “Don't be crass, Kay.” He rubbed at his forehead, contemplating a visit to the med center for a dose of painkillers. “I don’t recall the parameters of that mission including anything about you going undercover as a shuttle. What if you had been discovered? Your files contain classified information about the Rebellion that could have disastrous implications if the Empire got hold of them!” 

Cassian could hear his voice rising, ears burning from all the blood rushing to them. Kay could incapacitate him in seconds, yet he cringed away from Cassian’s voice like he was a child about to be struck. Cassian took a deep breath and steadied himself against the wall. “I’m sorry. I got a little carried away.”

Kay looked up at him, optics glowing steadily. “I would not jeopardize the cause, Cassian. I hope you know that. I installed a failsafe to destroy my programming, in the event that someone discovered its presence.”

Stepping forward, placing both hands on Kay’s shoulders, Cassian leaned against his friend. “Of course you did.”

Kay’s hands came up around him, settling on his waist in what could only be described as an embrace. Cassian fought back the urge to check for anyone watching them, still learning to accept the fledgling intimacy between them. He let his weight rest against Kay’s frame. “Well, what did you have to say to yourself, now that we’ve established that it isn’t a trap?”

Picking up the datapad again, Kay decrypted the message and scanned through it. He paused, then set it down again. 

“Looks like you’ll get to see your pilot again. They want to meet with us. It’s about a weapon.”

Cassian cleared his throat. “Great, this shouldn’t be awkward at all.”

He stepped back and Kay released his hold, standing up to his full height. Cassian looked up, and reached out to touch Kay’s arm. “We’ll still have to go to Draven with this, to get clearance to leave the base. It will probably be better if he believes that it was my idea to infiltrate the ship like that.”

Kay huffed, an accomplishment for a being without lungs. “Fine. Take all the credit, see if I care.”

“Let’s go. You can pout later.”

***

“What do you mean there are _two_ of him now?”

Draven’s face had shifted through at least three different colors over the course of their conversation, white, to red, to its current tinge of purple. If Cassian hadn’t sat opposite this range on more than one occasion in the past, he might have been worried. 

“Sir, the important part is that he has information about a weapon. Information that might actually give us some leverage in this war. Isn’t that worth checking into?”

Deflating, Draven leaned back in his chair. “Of course it is. But it’s going to be your head on the line if this goes south.”

Cassian smiled. “Just as I’m sure that it will be your head that they string a medal around if things go right.”

Kay shifted subtly behind Cassian, an unnecessary action only meant to remind the two men of his presence in the room. “Shall I reply in the affirmative, or will the two of you require a measuring device of some sort?”

A vein throbbed in Draven’s forehead. “Please get this clanking droid out of my office, Andor. Report back once you’ve rendezvoused with your informant.” He blew out a breath, then waved a hand at them. “You’re dismissed, Captain.”


	3. Chapter 3

Bodhi lowered the ramp of the shuttle reluctantly. Throwing himself toward Jedha to play out Galen’s plan had been easy. He knew what to expect there, at least, the familiar backdrop of sand and stone, pilgrims mixing with ‘troopers. He vaguely remembered Willix who was really Cassian, but more for the sharp sadness in his face, the welcome roughness of his hands, than for anything that would settle the anxious feeling in Bodhi's gut. 

“They are not scheduled to arrive for another two hours, Bodhi.” Two’s voice cut through the empty cargo hold and Bodhi's wandering thoughts, startling him from where he’d been leaning against the wall. He’d taken advantage of the hyperspace jump to sleep a little, but nerves and residual stims had made for more tossing and turning than anything else. 

At one point, he’d thought about powering on the holopad and talking to Two. He was reluctant to give up the little piece of privacy left to him on the ship, though. Honestly, it felt more like inviting someone into his bed than he was prepared to deal with. Especially when that someone had no actual body. It was complicated.

Bodhi cleared his throat and straightened up. “Is there anything else to do on this planet? Or should I be doing something here?”

“You should not draw attention to yourself.”

“I can be ... inconspicuous.”

The ramp to the shuttle closed, locking with a soft hiss of compressed air. Bodhi rolled his eyes. “Alright, fine. We’ll do it your way.”

Two’s voice lowered to a much softer volume. “Thank you. Since we are waiting, it would be an opportune time to fulfill your dietary needs. You have not eaten in at least twelve hours.”

In response, Bodhi’s stomach made a noise like a dying tauntaun. He pressed his hand against his stomach, eyes going wide. “Getting bossed around by everyone today. I’m not sure how much I like that.”

Two didn’t respond. Somehow, that didn’t do anything to ease his anxiety. 

***

Two hours later, there was a soft knock on the shuttle’s hull from outside, followed by a much louder clang. Bodhi flinched, looking up toward the camera. “Friends of yours, Two?”

The lock disengaged, ramp slowly opening. Two responded, quietly. “Your assumption is correct.”

Captain Cassian Andor looked much like Bodhi’s hazy recollection, though, a little less formal without the implied Imperial connections that came with his alias. The KX unit following him looked like every other KX unit Bodhi had ever seen, except somehow lazier. Like he was only here because someone had forced him and he wasn’t happy about any of it. More like a smuggler in a cantina than a piece of finely-tuned machinery. 

“Um. Hello, again, I guess.”

Cassian cracked a tiny smile, and Bodhi suddenly remembered why he’d ended up in a bunk with the man, some glimmer of humanity visible through whatever mask he was wearing. 

“Hello. Sorry this is a little awkward. I didn’t realize that Kay had -” Cassian waved a hand around the shuttle vaguely “ - made himself at home here.”

“I was gathering intelligence. Just because you did not think of it, does not mean the plan lacked merit.”

Hearing Two’s voice come out of the the droid’s body was disconcerting. Hearing the same voice respond through the shuttle speakers was even worse. 

“I think our plan worked quite well, despite its … questionable nature.”

Cassian groaned and rubbed a hand over his face. “Draven was right, I don’t know if the galaxy is ready for two of them to exist.” He scratched absently at his beard. “We should probably go ahead and remove you - him - _the copy_ from the shuttle’s data core.”

Kay walked over toward the control panel, an access port opening in his arm. For reasons Bodhi didn’t quite understand, his heart started pounding in his ears. 

“Wait!” 

Both Kay and Cassian stopped and turned to stare at him. His face heated in embarrassment, a lump forming in his throat that he swallowed around. “What - what will happen to Two if you take him out of the shuttle?”

Kay tilted his head slightly to the left, optics dimming. He spoke, slowly. “His data files will merge with mine. Any redundant processes will be scanned and likely purged to save space.”

Bodhi looked to Cassian, who seemed to be processing the statement. “I - you'd just delete him like that?”

Kay straightened out of his slouch, and Bodhi saw the Imperial underneath, what Kay had been before. “He is me, Ensign. Simply a duplicate version.”

Irrationally, Bodhi stepped forward, crowding into Kay’s space. “Tell me what I did when my mother died then.” The droid retreated, looking over Bodhi's shoulder at Cassian. He continued. “Tell me how _you_ felt about that. Tell me why you stopped me from going to the Partisans with the information, why you saved my life -”

“Enough!” Cassian's voice broke over Bodhi's rising one, halting his tirade. His hands shook; he was standing very close to a droid that could take him apart in seconds. Why did he care so much?

“Bodhi, we can figure this out later. I promise that no one will remove K-2SO from the shuttle unless that's what he wants.” Cassian laid a hand on his shoulder, trying to placate him. It worked, to a degree. 

Bodhi shrugged the hand off, turning away from both of them. “I -” He stopped to breathe, shaking his head. Maybe that would knock his brain back into the right place. “You should see the message, I suppose. Let’s go up to the cockpit, you can watch it up there.”

They climbed up the ladder, Kay bringing up the rear. Bodhi settled into the pilot’s seat out of habit, leaving Cassian and Kay to sort themselves out. Then, the holo image flickered to life again, Galen’s face in wavering blue.

_“Saw, if you’re watching this, then perhaps there is a chance to save the Alliance. Perhaps there’s a chance to explain myself and, though I don’t dare hope for too much, a chance for Jyn, if she’s alive, if you can possibly find her to let her know that my love for her has never faded and how desperately I’ve missed her._

_Jyn, my Stardust…”_

The message was practically ingrained in Bodhi’s mind at this point, so he watched Cassian instead, waiting for his impassive face to give away his thoughts. It was impossible to tell if he believed what Galen was saying. Hell, Bodhi didn't know if he would, if he hadn't seen the conflict in Galen’s face, the haunted look he'd had when he'd sent Bodhi to find Saw and his daughter. He wondered if she was even alive. Maybe, after all this was over, he could look for her. 

_“We call it the Death Star. There is no better name. And the day is coming soon when it will be unleashed. I’ve placed a weakness deep within the system. A flaw so small and powerful, they’ll never find it.”_

Cassian closed his eyes, still listening. He crossed his arms over his chest. Kay, for reasons that Bodhi didn’t understand, moved a step closer.

_“Saw, the reactor module, that’s the key. That’s the place I’ve laid my trap. It’s well hidden and unstable, one blast to any part of it will destroy the entire station. You’ll need the plans, the structural plans for the Death Star to find the reactor. I know there’s a complete engineering archive in the data vault at the Citadel Tower on Scarif. Any pressurized explosion to the reactor module will set off a chain reaction that will destroy the entire station.”_

Galen’s voice trailed off, and Bodhi shut off the holo before it began to repeat the message. Cassian didn’t say anything for a moment, the faintest line forming between his eyebrows. Bodhi swallowed, glancing at his holopad, still plugged into the console. He pressed his lips together, then shook his head and brought up the star chart on the HUD. 

“Okay, so Scarif is in the Abrion Sector. I’ve been there a few times, actually, before I was assigned to Eadu…”

Bodhi trailed off, looking up at Cassian who had begun whispering animatedly to Kay. “Everything alright over there?”

Cassian clenched his jaw and looked back at Bodhi. “Listen, while I appreciate you getting this information to us, I’ll have to bring this back to General Draven so the council can decide on a course of action.”

Bodhi stiffened. “I’m sorry, did we just watch the same message? The one where he said the words ‘Death Star’? We need to get the plans before they find out that Galen sent me. Assuming they haven’t already.”

Cassian opened his mouth to speak again, but Two cut in over the shuttle speakers before he could say anything. “I have been scanning the holonet while we’ve been on planet. There is currently no information regarding Imperial Pilot Bodhi Rook. If we move quickly, there’s a chance that we could get the plans before anyone is aware.”

Kay answered, their matched voices once again disconcerting, “That doesn’t change the fact that we are under order to bring this information back to the Rebellion, regardless of your feelings toward the defector.”

“No one said anything about _feelings_ , I’m just being practical.”

“That’s _enough_ , both of you. Force, I can’t believe I just said that.” Cassian looked like he was about to have an aneurysm, a vein visibly throbbing in his forehead. “Look, I can see how striking quickly while we have someone on the inside might be a wise strategic move, but even if we do go to Scarif, we still need a way to get onto the Imperial Base.”

Bodhi nodded. “Through the deflector shield as well, but I should be able to get past that. Shuttle has security codes, we just need a reason for being there.”

The HUD flickered, star charts shifting to show their positioning; once again aligned with NiJedha. Mouth perking up into a smile, Bodhi pointed at the chart. “Oh, that’s good, Two.”

Cassian rubbed his forehead, taking a deep breath. “What’s good?”

“If we jump to Scarif and report navigation systems trouble, they should let us land for repairs. Then, someone just needs to get into the Citadel and locate the plans.” 

“Someone, obviously meaning myself, since they already know you’re a pilot.” Cassian licked his lips, then shook his head. “I've certainly gone in with worse plans.”

Simultaneously, Kay and Two intoned dryly, “Indeed.”

Bodhi and Cassian shared a look. “That’s...unsettling.”

“It really is.” Bodhi steeled himself for the coming rejection. Galen had said he could make things right, if he listened to what was in his heart, but Galen had turned out to be a poor judge of character. Maybe he was wrong about Bodhi as well.

Cassian looked at the chart again. “You think this will work?”

“I think there’s a chance.” Bodhi shrugged. “Better than average odds.”

Two chimed in, “If you would like to know the specifics -”

Bodhi replied, “Not really, thanks” at the same time as Cassian bit out a sharp, “Not now.” 

Then, with a grim smile, Cassian nodded. “Okay, pilot. Let’s go.”


	4. Chapter 4

“This is Cargo shuttle SW-2587 requesting a landing pad.” Bodhi tried to keep his voice steady, rote memory carrying him through when his nerve wavered.

The response came quickly. “Cargo shuttle SW-2587, you’re not listed on the arrival schedule.”

Bodhi took a deep breath. “Acknowledged, Gate Control. Shuttle navigation systems are malfunctioning. Request landing to permit repairs. Transmitting clearance code now.”

After a beat of silence, the comm clicked back on. “Cargo shuttle SW-2587? You are cleared for entry. Proceed to landing pad three.”

Relief swelled up in Bodhi, a cheer threatening to burst from his chest, but he settled for a quick grin. “Acknowledged. Setting course for LP3.”

Cassian bit his lip around a smile, tension fading from his shoulders as Bodhi guided the shuttle through the defense shields and started the descent to the ground. A note of surprise in his voice, Two commented, “That went much smoother than I had calculated.”

Kay scoffed in return, “Relatively speaking, that was the easy part. We still have to get inside.”

“Can we maybe adopt a positive attitude for just a little while?” Bodhi asked, hovering over the landing pad and easing them down to the tarmac. They settled softly, and Bodhi shut down the engines, hands sure on the controls. “They’re going to send someone out to check our story, so, Cassian and Kay, you need to get to the lower storage. Two...just remember not to talk, okay?”

Cassian nodded, and he and Kay climbed down the ladder. Bodhi checked the readings on the shuttles fuel cells, lingering in the cockpit. Brushing his fingers over the top of the holopad, Bodhi squared his shoulders and stood up. 

“Well, here goes everything. Wish me luck, Two.”

“Luck is a fallacy intended to appease children and the weak-minded.”

Under his breath, Bodhi muttered, “You’re just a regular ray of sunshine, aren’t you?” Out loud he said, “Remind me which one of those I am?”

Two waited until he was halfway down the ladder before responding. “You do realize that I can hear you even when you mutter, right?” 

Bodhi absolutely did not think about what other sounds Two might have heard on board the shuttle, even from behind closed doors. “Opening the ramp now,” he said, in lieu of acknowledging. 

Then, he pasted on his best contrite Imperial lackey face and prepared to bullshit his way through the inspection.

***

The plan went well, until it didn’t. 

Bodhi took the transit tube to the maintenance area, continuing the facade of needing parts for the shuttle. This also gave him the chance to hack the local holonet, giving Two remote access. Being friendly with Galen proved useful, his security codes allowing Bodhi to access far more information than he would have otherwise. 

Meanwhile, Cassian and Kay bluffed their way into the data vault, quietly stunning the Imperial manning the control systems. Quietly stunning, for Kay, meant knocking him over the head and shoving him in a nearby closet, but it was effective nonetheless.

Cassian’s voice broke in over the comm, startling Bodhi from the data terminal he was hunched over, pretending to look through old repair logs in case anyone questioned his loitering. “Okay, we’ve accessed the records in the data vault. Got it narrowed down to the schematics bank, structural engineering, but all of the plans are listed under code names. I don’t really think they’re going to label the plans ‘Death Star’.” 

Kay made a noise that Bodhi could only rationalize as a snort, then Cassian continued. “Alright, maybe they would, but I don’t see that in the list.”

Bodhi fought back the urge to touch his ear, for fear of giving away the comlink hidden there. He glanced around, making sure no one was paying attention to him. “Okay, just - list the names I guess. Maybe something will stand out.”

Kay’s droll voice began listing, “ Stellarsphere. Mark Omega. Pax Aurora. War-Mantle. Cluster-Prism. Black-Saber. Stardust. -”

Bodhi looked up. “Wait - Stardust. I’ve heard that before. Where have I heard that?”

Two cut in. “On the recording from Galen Erso, he referred to his daughter, Jyn, as ‘Stardust’.” He paused for a moment and then continued. “I am not sure how I feel about a man that names a weapon capable of planetary destruction after a nickname for his child.”

“I don't know, makes me wonder about the child more, if we're being honest,” Bodhi commented with a wince.

“Humans are very strange. I’ve given up on trying to understand them,” Kay replied. 

Cassian made a noise of affront, but Bodhi ignored it. “Okay, get the plans and get back to the shuttle as quickly as possible.” 

The maintenance bay was mostly empty, so the sudden sound of footsteps headed toward him sent a flash of panic through Bodhi. Logic said that there was only a slim chance that they were interested in what he was doing, but logic was currently being bludgeoned by irrationality, so it wasn't an accurate gauge of the situation at the moment. Bodhi stepped away from the data terminal and walked purposefully across the hangar, fighting back every instinct screaming ‘run’ in his ear. Luckily, no one that could actually speak into his ear was talking.

Ducking into the first unlocked storage closet he could find, Bodhi plastered himself against the wall and took several deep, calming breaths. The lights flickered on, triggered by his movements, revealing aisles and aisles of KX unit droids in various states of disrepair. He froze for a moment, all of that black durasteel intimidating even without the optics lit up. Then, a thought flitting through his mind, he stepped forward and touched the arm of the first one in the row, it’s head severely dented on one side. 

The comlink activated, Two’s voice breaking in with an odd echo around it. “Bodhi. Someone is attempting to access the shuttle’s data core.”

Bodhi’s fingers curled around the damaged droid’s wrist, the cold of the motionless durasteel seeping into his palm. “Maybe they’re just checking our cover. What systems are they looking at? And why do you sound strange?”

“I have set up a private channel. This is just a simulation of my vocal resonance, since I cannot speak out loud.”

Bodhi looked back toward the door he’d come through, letting go of the droid’s wrist and walking further into the room. “I’m just checking on something, I’ll be back there as soon as I can. Just...stay quiet.”

“When my programming is discovered, a self-destruct algorithm will be activated. You will need to locate another shuttle.”

Fingers brushing over the faceplate of another KX unit, Bodhi drew in a sharp breath. “That’s not - I’m not going to just _abandon_ you,” he hissed, struggling to keep his voice quiet. The calm certainty of Two’s voice set off an alarm in his brain. “Can you distract them somehow? Hold them off until I can get back to you?”

Two didn’t say anything for ten long seconds. Long enough for Bodhi’s heart rate to pick up, even beyond the adrenaline already rushing through him. He looked into the lifeless droid’s optics, imagining that this was Two, absent from his life as suddenly as he had entered it. Then, finally, “I will attempt to divert them. I am unable to predict my success rate.”

Bodhi made a beeline for a hovercart pushed up against one wall, eyes scanning the rows of KX units for those with the least damage as he moved. “I'm - I’m on my way back,” he said, breath ragged. “Quick question - just … for reference - do you like yellow, red, or blue?”

“I hardly see what my color preference has to do with anything. Please refrain from doing anything ridiculously stupid.”

A small smile worked its way through the panic that had taken up permanent residence in Bodhi’s chest. He kept moving though, unable to shake the need to do this, even while berating himself for wasting precious seconds. “I’m betting it all on ridiculously stupid these days, Two. Seems to be working out alright so far. Uh, how much does a KX unit weigh?”

“Anywhere from one hundred to three hundred kilograms, depending on the particular chassis style and weaponry modifications. Bodhi, there isn’t time for this. You need to prioritize the mission.”

Voice serious, Bodhi said, “I’ve lost enough friends, Two, please let me do this.”

Cassian’s voice broke in, strange with the ambient noise surrounding it after the echo of Two’s private communication. “It’s pretty quiet out there, everything alright?”

Bodhi thought about lying. He might be able to fool Cassian, for a while. _No._ They needed to trust each other, and Cassian deserved to know what was going on. “Someone’s attempting to get into the shuttle’s systems. Two is running interference.”

“How far away are you?” Cassian asked, voice rising in pitch. 

“Still in the maintenance area. I’ve found some deactivated KX units, thought maybe I could solve a couple problems at once.”

Cassian sighed, breath crackling over the comm. “Bodhi. I understand what you’re doing. More than you know, actually. But, if they access the information Two has on the Rebellion, well, it won’t just be our lives on the line. He won’t allow that to happen.” 

“I know. I'll get there as fast as I can.” Then, quietly, even though there was no way to block Two from hearing, Bodhi added, “He saved my life. I owe him this much, a chance at his own…”

Cassian sighed again, but didn’t say anything else.

Bodhi stopped in front of a slate gray unit with blue bands around the arms. He couldn’t tell if it had been designated for a specific task or just a custom order from some Imperial more concerned about aesthetic than most. More importantly, it looked intact, minus a few dents in the chest plate. He could probably fix that. Fittingly, the Imperial symbol on its arm was scuffed almost completely off. Maybe the Force was giving him a sign. He smiled, pulled the lever that released the unit from the rack and dragged it onto the cart before rushing toward the door. 

Step one was out of the way. Now he just had to make it back across the base without anyone getting suspicious. That couldn't be that hard, right?

***

Narrowly escaping the overly inquisitive quartermaster, Bodhi closed the hatch on the transit tube and sat down on the edge of the hovercart. “Okay, on my way back now. Cassian and Kay, what’s your location?”

“We have the plans. Leaving the data vault and heading back toward the shuttle.”

Bodhi let out a deep breath. They were halfway there. Well, maybe more like twenty-three percent, but he needed to check something off in the ‘going right’ column and getting what they had come here for went a long way toward that. 

“Two, status?”

“I’ve set up a data loop that sends them to a random file of indecipherable code whenever they attempt to access any part of my programming. So far, it’s working.”

Bodhi leaned back against the crate stacked on top of the cart, anxiously wishing that the transit tube would move faster. There was some relief that his detour hadn’t completely fucked them over yet, but he couldn’t completely relax until he was on the shuttle and Two was standing in front of him. Bodhi closed his eyes and allowed himself a few seconds to imagine that, substituting the more subtle gray over a memory of Kay standing in the shuttle’s cargo bay. He rubbed the back of his neck, dug his fingers into the tension along his spine, then stood up and paced the length of the transport nervously. 

The transport tube hissed as it began to slow on the track, the loss of momentum forcing Bodhi to stumble. Recovering quickly, he pushed the cart toward the hatch and schooled his features into ‘panicked Imperial’ as opposed to ‘panicked rebel’. It was a fine line to tread. 

The hatch opened, revealing a ‘trooper in black gear. “Identification,” they said, voice crackling through the helmet disguising their face.

Bodhi dug through the pocket of his jumpsuit, pulling out his Imperial scandocs and presenting them without a word. 

The ‘trooper glanced at them briefly, then up at Bodhi’s face, before lifting the scandocs up to view them side by side with a tilt of their head. “Ensign...Rook. What’s on the cart?”

Bodhi tensed, biting down on his tongue to keep his jaw from clenching. He didn’t have time for this, not with Two silent on the other end of the comm. He didn’t have time to get caught either, not when they were so close to pulling this off. The fact that he thought about Two first wasn’t lost on him, yet another thing on the list of things he didn’t have time for. _Alright, Rook. Think fast now._

“J-just some parts for my shuttle. Having trouble with the navigation systems, but I also need to tweak the landing gear.” Bodhi attempted a smile. “Much easier to work here in the sunshine than in the rain on Eadu, right?” 

They didn’t laugh, and any smile was obscured by the black plastoid. _So much for jokes, then._ The ‘trooper looked down at the cart, then back up at Bodhi’s face, then over to the scandocs again. Bodhi dug his fingernails into his palm and looked straight ahead, trying to calculate how far he’d get if he ran now. Not far enough, sadly.

Seemingly satisfied, the ‘trooper dropped their arm, then passed the scandocs back, stepping aside to let Bodhi navigate the cart out of the transport. Bodhi pressed his lips together, fighting the urge to sag in relief. 

As Bodhi passed, the ‘trooper commented, “Don’t forget to log the parts in your maintenance files. The quartermaster here is a real sarlacc pit about inventory records.”

It was a chilling reminder, that the ‘troopers were just humans, even under all that armor. Not so different from himself, probably. “Thanks for the tip,” he said, tossing off a lazy salute. “There’s always one of those, no matter where you go.”

Bodhi walked back to the shuttle as nonchalantly as he could manage, pushing the cart in front of him toward the open ramp of the shuttle. Inside, an Imperial in a crisply pressed uniform was staring at a datapad with a baffled expression, a cord connecting the ‘pad to the data terminal in the shuttle. He looked up at the sound of Bodhi’s boots coming up the ramp. 

“Rook, right? There’s something wrong with your shuttle’s data core. I can’t access any of the memory files.”

Bodhi pushed the cart up against one wall and lowered the crate down to the floor before turning to answer, trying to gather up his wits again. Two’s diversion was still in place, which logically meant that he was also still in there, but doubt was a raging beast, twisting everything to a negative before Bodhi could take any sort of solace. He needed to think fast regardless. Bodhi turned, furrowing his brow and twisting his mouth in quiet concern. _Confidence, Rook. Like a flight instructor._

“It’s getting worse then. The navigation controls were all screwed up too. Ended up here instead of Jedha, lucky I didn’t get sucked into a gravity well in transit.”

The man frowned. “We could try a total reset. Strip the files and start fresh. Otherwise, you might need a totally new data core.”

Fighting back the urge to shove the man down the ramp, mentally arguing with himself - _(He’s just doing his job. But he could kill Two with a tap on a screen! Fine, but he hasn’t yet so keep it together, Rook…)_ \- Bodhi walked over to the terminal and tapped gently on the screen. “Oh, I’ve got a couple more things to try before I give up entirely. Appreciate the help though.”

The man scowled, then unplugged the cable. “Of course. Please, continue to...muck about.” He marched down the ramp, muttering under his breath all the while. 

Bodhi waited until the man was out of earshot before slumping back against the wall and sliding to the floor. Without the constant thread of panic, staying upright was almost more effort than he could manage. Everything felt surreal, like he was standing just to the left of his own body, watching. They weren't out of danger yet, though, not until they cleared the defense shield and hit hyperspace. Bodhi tipped his head up toward the data terminal, wanting that connection with Two to get himself moving again. “What was he saying?”

Two replied, directly in Bodhi’s ear instead of over the shuttle’s speakers, “Kriffing pilots.” 

Bodhi’s fingers twitched, a flash of heat racing through him. Somehow, Two’s voice in his ear felt more intimate when he was in the shuttle, even though it sounded exactly the same as it had when he was inside the Citadel. _Get a grip, Bodhi. This isn’t...whatever you think it is._

Two spoke again. “You are a much better liar than I anticipated.”

“Yes, I’m sure my bumbling was amusing to listen to.” Bodhi tipped his head back against the wall, a soft edge of laughter in his voice.

“Cassian is better, but he has had more extensive training. I - I should say thank you, for keeping the technician from erasing me. It was -” Two paused, then tried again. “You did well.”

Bodhi smirked and pulled himself to his feet, letting Two’s voice ground him back in the moment. They weren't out of danger yet. “You should see me play sabacc sometime.”

Turning back toward the crate, Bodhi moved to push aside the parts he’d piled on top to hide the droid body he’d taken. Two commented, softly, still in his ear, “I would very much like to see that someday.”

Bodhi ignored the rush of emotion that sent through him, the fear that this would all end in heartache lined with a gilded edge of hope. 


	5. Chapter 5

While Bodhi set to work freeing the KX unit he had dragged back to the shuttle, Two began unravelling the mess he had made of the data core. Unfortunately, that only took up seventeen percent of his processing capacity. The other eighty-three percent was free to watch Bodhi, jumpsuit sleeves rolled up to his elbows, a streak of grease cutting across the line of his neck. 

He wasn’t sure when he had started paying attention to the way Bodhi looked, but now that he had, it was difficult to ignore. 

Two turned his attention back to the mission. The likelihood of any feelings he had for the pilot being reciprocated were so small as to be almost incalculable. Much the same as the odds of them all making it off of this planet intact. 

Two commed Cassian. “Status?”

The sound of blaster fire through the comlink was less than encouraging, Cassian’s voice breathless when he replied. “We’re fine, everything’s fine.”

“We are not fine, don’t listen to him.”

Bodhi stood up, hand clenched around the wrench he had been using to remove the restraining bolt from the droid body. “What’s going on?” 

Two ignored him, scanning through the map of the station that Galen’s security codes had allowed him to download. “Cassian, there should be a corridor coming up on your left. Take it and I will activate the security protocols in the sector you just left. That should buy you a little time.”

Bodhi slapped his hand against the wall of the shuttle, irritation showing in his clenched jaw. “Will someone tell me what happened!?”

Something crackled, sending feedback through the comlink. Distantly, Two could still hear Cassian’s voice, though he suspected he was hearing it through Kay’s comlink. “Okay, now!”

A siren went off. Bodhi made a sharp noise, reaching up to pull his earpiece off. “Shit! Two, what happened?”

“I believe Cassian’s cover was compromised. Someone on base must have recognized him.”

He swallowed, throat bobbing. Two devoted two percent of his processors to tracking Bodhi’s vitals. “And now?”

“They are safe for the moment. I am locating an exit route..”

Bodhi grabbed for the lever that activated the cargo ramp. “We’ve got to get to them, then.” He looked over at the droid body, propped up against the wall, then up to the camera. “How long would it take you to transfer out of the shuttle?”

Two quickly ran a simulation. “Unknown. I do not have sufficient data on the state of that unit.”

Bodhi made a noise of frustration, hesitating for a second, then turning toward the ladder. “We’ll pick them up, then we're getting you out of there.”

“Bodhi, that is not a priority -”

“It's a priority for me, okay? Just - please, Two.” Bodhi kept talking as he moved, climbing up into the cockpit and slipping into the pilot’s seat to start up the shuttle's engines. He powered on the holopad as well, tapping his knuckles against the screen gently. “We’re in this together. I'm not going to let you down.”

Two considered the words, the earnest tone, the nervous way Bodhi bit his lip, over and over. Two analyzed the data, the exact shade of red Bodhi's mouth was in that instant, storing it for later. Possibly when they weren't running for their collective lives. “I believe you.”

Bodhi smiled, just a small twitch of his lips upward. “Good.”

***

_A few minutes earlier_

Kay straightened his posture, recalling his initial programming, the sure even steps it had regulated. It had regulated more than that once, a rigid view toward order and a crisp black and white answer to every problem presented to him. Cassian had changed that, shown him the infinite gray in between, the color that existed alongside. He wasn’t a very good liar, on the best of days, but he could walk properly, given the right incentive. 

Keeping Cassian safe definitely fit those parameters. 

“Turn left here.”

Cassian nodded, almost imperceptibly. He was sweating, the nape of his neck damp between the ends of his hair and the starched collar of the Imperial uniform he wore as disguise. Kay suppressed the urge to touch him there, the knowledge that he _could_ almost overwhelming. 

A ‘trooper in black passed on their left, followed by a man with graying hair and the particular anemic face that all Moff’s seemed to share. Perhaps that was a piece of the uniform required, hollowed cheek with arched bone above. Perhaps it was just the knowledge of the death count at the end point of each of their orders, the Force taking back it’s own proverbial pound of flesh. 

Perhaps Cassian should not have downloaded that collection of literature into his coding, he was becoming corrupt with fanciful ideals. 

Cassian’s shoulders stiffened, his pace increasing. Under his breath, he said, “Kay, we may need a distraction.”

Before he could gather the words to reply, there was a shout from behind them. “You there. Stop!”

Two’s voice cut in over the comlink. “Status?”

The ‘trooper fired at them, a warning shot that skittered down the hall and burned a black mark into the gray wall ahead. Cassian broke out into a run, trusting Kay to keep pace. He could do that and more, could pick Cassian up and run, but his bulk was a hindrance then, more target than protection. 

Breathless, Cassian replied, “We’re fine. Everything’s fine.”

_Ridiculous._ “We are not fine, don’t listen to him.” He could hear Bodhi in the background, his panicked voiced begging for information, which both he and Two ignored. 

Two spoke again. “Cassian, there should be a corridor coming up on your left.” Then Cassian’s comlink was on the ground, and there were sirens, strobes of red lights flashing through the halls. The sound of durasteel slamming against the floor behind them set off a protective instinct that Kay didn’t bother pushing aside, grabbing the back of Cassian’s jacket and dragging him around the nearest corner. 

“I knew things were going too well,” Kay groused. Cassian, caught between the wall and the shield of Kay's chestplate, grinned.

“I wouldn't want to deprive you of the chance to blow something up, I know it's your favorite.”

That was true, however uncalled for. “How considerate of you,” Kay said sarcastically, “I think we should find an exit, though, before someone else recognizes your face.”

Cassian reached up and gripped Kay’s wrist in his hand, shifting out of the bracket of Kay’s arms. “Agreed.”

Kay tipped his head to one side, listening to Two and Bodhi’s back and forth conversation over the comlink. “Let’s go. Perhaps a pickup, if you two are done being all sentimental?”

Two’s squawk of indignation would have made Kay smile, if he had the facial structure to support it. 

***

Bodhi grabbed the headset and called up the control tower, heart hammering in his chest. “Control, this is SW-2587. I think I’ve managed a work around on my navigation issues, but I’d like to do a test run. Permission for a quick fly around?”

“Request acknowleged, SW-2587. Keep us apprised of any issues.” Sagging with relief at the fast response, Bodhi brought the shuttle up off the tarmac. 

Two, who had been directing Kay on another channel, cut in. “They are clear of the Citadel and awaiting pickup.”

Bodhi nodded out of habit, then shook his head and spoke out loud. “Got it. Heading over now.”

The fact that the tower didn’t notice them dipping down behind the Citadel was either luck or, according to Two, 'very precise calculations of velocity and line of sight'. In either case, Bodhi was just happy to have them on board, and the plans along with them.

After he picked up Cassian and Kay, Bodhi focused on getting the shuttle up into orbit, trusting Cassian's quick talking and Imperial alias to get the defense gate to open, even with security alarms going off down below. Bodhi hoped it would work, since the only other idea he had was to shoot their way out, and he wasn't sure that the laser cannons on the shuttle had enough firepower to do anything more than draw a squadron of tie fighters down on their heads.

Thankfully, Joreth Sward was an intimidating enough figure to bypass any misgivings the gate operators might have had.

Outside the orbit of the planet, there was a contingent of Star Destroyers to navigate past, their bulk impressive even in the vastness of space. (The one stationed over Jedha City had cast a shadow from the temple to the edge of the plateau, the dark, oppressive hand of the Empire literally choking off the sunlight.) Cassian settled back in the co-pilot’s seat, face calm even as his eyes searched for any sign that their cover had been blown. Kay hadn't come up to the cockpit, choosing to stay down in the cargo hold for reasons he hadn't divulged. 

“Make a couple of jumps before you head toward Ord Cestra,” Cassian said. “Standard protocol, just in case...”

He didn't finish the thought, but he didn't need to, the implication clear enough.

Bodhi nodded, choosing an out of the way point on the map and letting Two calculate the jump for them. As Bodhi was pushing the lever forward, the comm squawked once, and something monstrous began to materialize just beyond the curve of the planet. Then, space stretched around them, the familiar blue of hyperspace filling the viewport.

An uneasy feeling lingered, a sensation of not being able to draw in enough breath. His knee jumped, hands twisting against the cuffs of his jumpsuit sleeves nervously. Cassian glanced over once, chewing at the edge of his own lip distractedly.

Bodhi stood up, grabbing the holopad off the console. “I'm just going to…” He gestured toward the ladder. “We've got a bit, before we're due to come out of this jump.”

Cassian waved him off. “Yeah, I'll stay up here. Send Kay up if he bothers you, he can be a lot.” He chuckled then, rubbing at his jaw. “I suppose you know that already, with your Two.”

Bodhi didn't bother correcting Cassian, no matter how strange it felt to think of Two as _his_ anything. He tucked the holopad into a pocket, and climbed down the ladder to the cargo hold, turning toward his bunk as soon as his feet hit the floor.

“I have run diagnostics on the KX unit you brought on board.” Bodhi startled at the sound of Kay’s voice so close to him, the droid surprisingly quiet despite his size. 

Turning around, Bodhi tried to appear unconcerned, his nails biting into his palms at his sides. “Will it - I mean, could Two…?”

“It appears to be functioning properly, although the personality matrix has been wiped. There should not be an issue with the transfer.”

Bodhi couldn't help the grin that burst across his face, turning toward the unit leaning against the wall of the shuttle. He glanced back at Kay, mouth working as he tried to form words. “I - thank you, Kay. I appreciate you doing that.”

Kay nodded in response. “I understand how you feel. I would not want anything to happen to Cassian either.”

It was only then that Bodhi connected the dots, the nature of the relationship between Cassian and Kay suddenly obvious. It explained why neither of them questioned his need to protect Two, but also sent a new fear piercing through his mind. Was he just a replacement for Cassian, in Two’s mind? Some accidental programming glitch, a predilection for relationships with humans instead of an actual connection between the two of them?

His smile dimmed, but Kay had already turned away, climbing the ladder up to the cockpit. “I will be up here, if you need assistance.”

Bodhi took a step closer to the inert droid, airways restricting further. _Only one way to find out._ Sitting down cross legged in front of the KX, Bodhi pulled the holopad out of his pocket and leaned over to plug it into the data terminal. 

It booted up, and Bodhi gave what he hoped was a passable smile to the camera. He looked between the droid body and the ‘pad, then cleared his throat and started to talk. 

“You know, I assumed that you wanted to get out of there, but I never really asked. If you want to just...become part of Kay again, that's your choice.” He kept his voice pitched low, not wanting to share this with the others. “Whatever you decide, I want to say thank you. I don’t know for sure what would have happened, but I’m glad that I got a chance to know you.”

Two sounded startled by the words, his response halting. “Bodhi, I - I don't want that. I would prefer to stay with you.” 

Bodhi looked down at his lap, twisting the cord around his finger idly. “You don't have to stay with me. I'm not your master or anything like that.”

The holopad screen flashed at him, a flare of light that made him look up again. Two said, firmly, “We can have this conversation when I have a body again.”

Bodhi let out a shaky laugh. “Fine. Do I just plug in somewhere?”

“There should be an access port. Just connect the data terminal to it and I can begin the transfer.”

Bodhi located the port and connected the droid to the terminal, standing awkwardly off to one side after. “How long will it take?” He looked up toward the cockpit, the faint blue from outside the shuttle visible through the hatch.

Two paused for a moment before answering. “This may take some time, I don't want to damage the shuttle extricating myself.”

Nodding, Bodhi shuffled his feet. “I’ll go check on our progress. I think this jump will be over soon.”

“That is acceptable. And Bodhi - thank you as well. I am glad that I was right about you.”

Bodhi swallowed, ears burning. He didn’t ask what Two meant. There would be time for that later.


	6. Chapter 6

Slipping into the pilot’s seat again, Bodhi leaned back and pinched the bridge of his nose. He could hear Cassian shifting in the other seat and the soft whir of Kay’s cooling system running, but otherwise there was only silence. Uncertainty swirled through him, stomach faintly nauseous as he tried to string together something to say. 

“So. You and Kay...” he began, dropping his hand and turning toward Cassian. 

Cassian looked back expectantly, mouth tightening for a moment before replying. “So, you and Two?”

Bodhi winced and turned back toward the viewport. Unnervingly, Kay’s optics reflected back at him in the transparisteel, like some ghostly apparition. “No offense, Kay, but I feel a little awkward having this conversation in front of you.”

Kay hummed in agitation. “I hardly see why. Up until the point at which I uploaded his programming into the shuttle, Two was a part of me. He is only different now because we have different data points to extrapolate from.”

Bodhi leaned forward and put his face in his hands. “But the basic programming is the same. So whatever lead you to want to … be with Cassian, that’s just coding.”

Cassian frowned, shoulders stiffening. “You think I programmed him to have sex with me?”

Bodhi groaned. “No! That’s not what I - I wasn’t even thinking about - Kriff, Cassian. I meant _emotionally_.”

“That … isn’t better. You think I programmed him to fall in love with me.” It wasn’t a question, but the way Cassian looked away said more than he probably intended. Perhaps Bodhi wasn’t the only one who had gone down this particular hyperspace lane. 

Kay did not appear to share those doubts, turning his unblinking gaze toward Bodhi. “Philosophically speaking, you either believe that I am only a construct of sentience, made to bend to the will of my creator, or that I am an individual, able to have emotions and desires.”

Bodhi’s breath caught in his throat, but Kay continued. “If you thought of Two as just a machine, you would not have stopped us from removing him from the shuttle’s data core.”

“That doesn't mean that I - that we -” Bodhi flushed, from the tips of his ears, across his face and down his chest. He felt like a beacon, or a distress signal, fitting since the entire conversation was distressing. “This isn't… I mean. I’ve never even _thought about_ … with a droid. Before.” Emotion choked Bodhi’s throat, his voice growing strangled. “And then I think, what if this is just a reaction to him… saving me. What if I’m imagining the whole thing?” 

Cassian reached over and laid his hand on Bodhi’s arm. “I can’t decide what’s right for you.” A small smile appeared on Cassian’s face, and he turned to look at Kay, face softer than Bodhi had ever seen it. More importantly, that sharp sadness that Cassian always held seemed to fade away. “I only know that there are very few moments of happiness, in between the fighting and the fear. If you find something - someone - that brings you happiness, that you give happiness to in return… Don’t waste it.”

The console dinged, indicating that they were approaching the end point of the jump, and Bodhi turned his focus toward bringing the shuttle out of hyperspace. Cassian reached over and put his hand on Bodhi’s arm, fingers gripping just above his elbow, face turned serious once more. “No matter how you see him, the rest of the galaxy won’t always fall in line to accept it. So just...” He sighed once, mouth twisting. “Just figure it out for yourself first. Be sure.”

Bodhi held Cassian’s gaze, watched the sadness filter back in, and nodded firmly. “I understand.”

***

Kay calculated the next hyperspace jump, nothing at their first stopping point except a planet that seemed to have four moons, some smaller shuttles orbiting one of them lazily. Once they were back in the blue, Bodhi went down to check on Two, brushing his hand over the KX unit’s shoulder gently. It didn’t feel like Two was in there yet, and Bodhi couldn’t seem to rationalize the shift in his head. Part of him wanted to just sit down next to the droid, lean up against its arm and wait for Two to wake up. Actually, most of him wanted to do that, no matter how irrational it was. 

Bodhi sighed and walked over to what passed for a kitchen area on the shuttle, heating up some water for caf and digging a ration bar out of the supplies there. 

The shuttle lurched suddenly, water spilling onto the floor. Bodhi grabbed at the wall, bending his knees to keep his balance. 

“Cassian, what the kriff was that?” he called out, already moving toward the ladder. 

Cassian turned as Bodhi’s head cleared the opening into the cockpit. Kay was in the pilot’s seat, hands curled around the flight controls, and the shuttle was no longer in hyperspace, what looked like an asteroid field moving around them. 

“I don’t know what happened. We got pulled out of hyperspace by something. I think the navigation system might be malfunctioning.”

Walking over to the console, Bodhi pulled up the HUD. _Deja vu_. “This says we should be looking at Dantooine. I don’t remember an asteroid field in that sector.”

“That’s because there isn’t one,” Kay said, “However, I am detecting the planet Lah’mu in our vicinity, so the navigation is correct.”

Cassian’s jaw twitched. “That doesn’t make any sense, asteroid fields don’t just _appear_.”

Bodhi leaned forward, hand reaching out toward the viewport. Quietly, he said, “Cassian. I think that _is_ Dantooine.”

Debris floated past the shuttle, smaller pieces bouncing off the hull. Larger formations bunched together farther away, the view of the black void of space beyond only obscured by a sole moon.

“That’s impossible.” Cassian sat forward in his seat, then repeated himself. “That’s... impossible.”

Another voice joined in, familiar and yet different enough to drag Bodhi’s eyes away from the sight outside. “We need to leave, now.”

“Two,” Bodhi breathed out, as the slate gray of the pilfered KX unit came into view through the hatch in the floor. Two’s voice was slightly lower than before, the vocabulator calibrated differently than Kay’s. Well, at least now he could tell them apart.

“Hello, again. We need to leave, before that -” Two pointed through the viewport “- fires on us.”

The moon was moving, and not because of some gravity induced orbit. No, it was moving because - “That’s the Death Star.”

“Yes.”

Kay swung the shuttle around without any further prompting, moving them out of the debris field and into open space while Cassian plotted a jump for them. Bodhi held onto the back of the pilot’s seat with one hand, fingers gripping the cushioning tightly. His other hand brushed over Two’s arm, sliding down to find his hand and slotting their fingers together. Two tightened his grip briefly, a squeeze that Bodhi took as reassurance. 

The shuttle jumped back into hyperspace, and Bodhi turned, stepping forward to press his face against Two’s chestplate. The durasteel was a few degrees colder than the air and Bodhi’s face felt like it was on fire in comparison, especially so when he started crying.

“ _Fuck_. After all that, it didn’t even mean anything. I - I knew it was a weapon, but I never thought it could…Force, a whole planet.” Words weren’t enough, a sob working its way up Bodhi’s throat and choking him. He should have decided earlier, should have gone straight to the Rebellion in the first place, should have done something, anything else. 

Cassian gripped Bodhi’s shoulder, fingers pressing into the muscle there. “You can’t do that, Bodhi. You can't take responsibility for everything the Empire does.” 

“You don't understand, I helped them! They stripped Jedha, practically killed her to build this evil thing, and I - I _helped_.” Bodhi tried to pull away from Cassian’s hand, but it only pushed him further into Two’s arms, the steady hum of his internal processors a small comfort against Bodhi's ear.

Cassian lifted his hand and Two backed up, pulling Bodhi along with him. There was a moment of shuffling, the soft clank of Kay’s feet against the floor and the ladder as he and Cassian climbed down into the cargo hold, and then he was alone with Two in the cockpit.

“Cassian is right, this is not your fault. If it is, I am equally responsible since I was on the shuttle as well.”

Letting his weight rest against Two, Bodhi’s hands found the high curve of Two’s pelvic cradle and settled there. After so long wishing he could look at who he was talking to, now all he wanted to do was hide his face. “It's not the same,” he said, “I’ve made so many mistakes. I thought I could make it right.” Bodhi dragged in a wet breath, turning his face so his forehead pressed against Two’s chest plate. “Galen said I could, if I followed what was in my heart.”

“Have you?”

Bodhi pulled back, looking up at Two’s face through tear blurred eyes. “Have I what?”

Head tilting to one side, hand coming up to brush hair back out of Bodhi’s face, Two replied quietly, “Have you followed your heart?”

It was too much. The weight of guilt like a stone sitting on his chest, Two’s quiet concern, the uncertainty of what they would find at the next jump point. Bodhi’s knees buckled, only Two’s fast reflexes keeping him from falling to his knees. “My mother - my mother would say that this was all the will of the Force.”

Two’s hands tightened minutely, his optics an unblinking soft light. “If your mother was anything like her son, I believe that she would say she was proud.”

Bodhi pulled back, wiping his face against his sleeve. “Not been in your body five minutes and I’ve already made a mess of you.” He pasted a smile on his face. “Everything working okay?”

Two hummed. “You are deflecting. But yes, thank you.” 

“I can’t - right now. I need time.”

Two let go of Bodhi. “I understand. Human processing speed is not very efficient.”

This time, Bodhi’s smile was real, however small. “That’s true. We must have our good points, though, or the droids would lead a revolution against us.”

“When we become your supreme overlords, I will make sure that you are spared.” 

“Well, that’s comforting at least. Actually… no it's just disturbing.”

Two hummed in annoyance, laying his hand on Bodhi’s shoulder and pushing him toward the co-pilot’s seat. “I would tell you to go sleep, but I already know you will disregard my suggestion. At least sit down. I am unsure of what we will find at our next destination.”

Bodhi sat, shaking his head and then looking up sharply. “You don’t think they tracked the shuttle, do you?”

Two sat in the pilot’s seat, looking around at the controls and occasionally reaching out to touch one of the toggles lightly. “No. A construct with that much mass would move through hyperspace at a much slower rate than our shuttle. The Rebellion suspected that the base on Dantooine was compromised before they relocated. This action would...confirm that theory.”

Relief washed over Bodhi, followed by disgust, the taste of bile acrid on the back of his tongue. The Rebellion might not have lost troops, but there must have been others that called that planet home. Their lives were just as important. “There's no way to come out of this war with clean hands, is there?”

Two turned toward him, pausing his reacquaintance with the controls. “I do not believe there is, not if you are a good man. Cassian also has difficulty sometimes, perhaps he would be better equipped to ease your conscience.”

Bodhi smiled, the words ‘good man’ caught in his chest, warmth radiating out from that point and pushing back the chill of space. “Thanks. Uh, I'll make time to talk to him later. Try to sleep a little now, I guess.”

Two turned back to the controls with a nod. “Good. I will wake you when we arrive.”

Bodhi leaned back and closed his eyes, letting the hum of Two’s cooling fan and the familiar ambient sounds of the shuttle lull him into security. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please note: the line about droids becoming our supreme overlords is ~~borrowed~~ \- ~~stolen~~ an _homage_ to Careful Truths by Sassysnowperson. Read it, it's amazing.


	7. Chapter 7

Bodhi docked the shuttle in the port on Ord Cestra. It went smoothly, the interaction with the dockmaster rote and inconsequential, but Cassian could see the way his hands tensed on the shuttle controls, as if Vader himself was going to pick up the comm. 

He didn’t.

“I hate to say it, but we should leave the shuttle here.”

Bodhi looked up, mouth tense for a moment. Then he nodded, swallowing thickly. “You’re right. If there’s any possibility that they can track the ship… Well, it’s too great a risk.”

He gazed wistfully around the ship, then stood up, gesturing toward Cassian. “After you, Captain.”

Down in the cargo hold, Kay and Two had taken up position on either side of the shuttle, plugged in to the ship’s charging ports. Kay stood up when Cassian came down the ladder, retracting his charging cable and stepping forward. Bodhi waited until Cassian had moved away before climbing down himself. 

“We’re all gonna take the U-wing back. We’ll leave this shuttle here. Kay, can you go start getting it ready to leave?” 

Kay let out his approximation of a sigh. “Finally, a plan I can agree with.” He opened the ramp and trudged out, leaving Cassian standing there shaking his head. At least some things were still the same. 

Cassian turned back toward Bodhi, who was doing his very best to not hover around Two and failing miserably. “Get anything you don’t want to lose off this ship, we may not be able to come back for it.” Then he left, patting the side of the shuttle as he walked toward the U-wing. He hadn’t been on it long enough to grow truly attached, but it had saved their asses a few times at least. Leaving behind a resource like that was always a difficult pill to swallow, especially when the Rebellion could use every one they could get their hands on. 

Back on the U-wing, everything was as they had left it, except for the addition of an encrypted message waiting on Cassian’s datapad. 

It was from Draven, the ire in his words evident even on the screen. Cassian wasn't looking forward to seeing how angry the General was in person, he might actually rupture that vein that throbbed in his forehead whenever he had to deal with Kay’s blunt attitude.

_< <“Andor, you better be dead or have a kriffin’ fantastic explanation for this. Reports coming in on Dantooine and a Rebel incursion on Scarif?”>>_

Cassian groaned, a headache forming right between his eyes. Bodhi chose that moment to climb into the U-wing, stopping with one hand braced on the wall just inside the opening. “Everything alright?”

Cassian's mouth twitched. “S’fine. Just going to be stuck in debriefing for days when we get back.”

Nodding sympathetically, Bodhi said, “It's what we get for going rogue, I guess. We've got the plans, though, so hopefully that will be a point in our favor.”

Cassian cracked a smile, but he was sure Bodhi could tell it was half-hearted at best. “I don't really want to see what the General's tally for Kay and I looks like. I have a hard enough time with my own conscience as it is.”

The concerned look Bodhi gave him in response to that was a reminder of why they'd ended up in Bodhi's bunk once upon a time, before Cassian had stopped avoiding his feelings for Kay. It was going to be strange, having two droids on base that looked and sounded so similar. Stranger still that one had turned toward him and the other toward Bodhi, some tipping point where they diverged and became two distinct beings. 

Someday he'd have the energy to sort through that particular black hole. Today he just wanted the weight of the Death Star off his shoulders.

“Kay, can you get us ready for take off? I'll message the base so they'll know when to expect us.”

“Yes, Cassian. You may want to warn them of our expanded numbers as well.”

Two climbed on board the U-wing, ducking to avoid hitting his head. The gray and blue coloring was unusual for a KX, but Cassian appreciated the visual distinction at the very least. 

“The shuttle is secured. I removed any location history from the memory cache, as a precaution.” Two turned toward Bodhi, who had strapped himself into one of the jump seats, and held out a battered holopad toward him. “I also retrieved this. There did not appear to be any other personal effects on board.”

Bodhi took the holopad with a pained smile. “Thanks, Two. I didn't have much, but I cleared everything out before I left for Jedha, in case I needed to abandon the shuttle.” Bodhi looked away. “Galen might have been a poor choice of guardian over all my possessions. Not like I'll be able to go back to Eadu now.”

“Human literature does place a certain amount of importance on the idea of starting with a ‘clean slate’. Perhaps your lack of possessions will assist with this endeavor.”

Cassian dragged his focus back to his datapad, encrypting a short message to Draven and giving Bodhi and Two what privacy he could in the small ship, ignoring the careful way the two kept maneuvering around each other. They had enough pressure to deal with without him looking over their shoulders.

_< <‘On our way back, plus two passengers. Will explain on arrival.’>>_

Kay turned, looking over his shoulder at Cassian. “Proceed with departure?”

Cassian nodded, heading up to the front to strap into his seat. “Let’s get out of here before anything else happens.”

In unison, Kay and Two said, “Agreed.” Cassian bit his lip, and hoped they would get over that quirk sooner rather than later.

***

Kay set the U-wing down gently on the tarmac and began powering down the engines. Cassian patted him on the shoulder before climbing down from the cockpit area, just catching Bodhi’s nervous gaze watching him. 

“Ready?” he asked. Not that there was another choice now, they’d thrown all their cards in on this, hopefully it would be worth the ante.

“As I’ll ever be.”

Two stood up. “I imagine that they will be more concerned about my appearance than yours. There are many defectors in the Rebellion, but only one other KX droid.”

Bodhi’s mouth tipped up at the corner and he patted Two’s arm. Once again, Cassian felt like he shouldn’t be watching these soft moments between them, an accidental voyeur. “We’ll look out for each other, yeah?”

Kay, appearing beside Cassian, hummed in agreement. “I am prepared to vouch for you both. _If_ they bother to ask my opinion.”

Sighing and shaking his head, Cassian said, “Let’s go before they send someone in after us.” Then he slid the door open and stepped out into the familiar humidity of Yavin, the noises of pilots chattering with each other and training exercises dampened by the jungle surrounding the base. “Welcome home, I guess.”

Bodhi stepped out behind him, glancing around and up toward where the temple silhouetted against the sky. “Seems nice enough. Not raining, at least.”

Two and Kay climbed out last, stretching up to their full heights out of the cramped doorway of the U-wing. Two commented, “Yes, it is a definite improvement over Eadu. Also, much less likely to end with a blaster pointed at our heads.”

Cassian laughed. “So many good things at once, I'm not sure how we’ll survive.” Then, before Kay could cut in with a sarcastic quip, he set off toward the base and the harried looking assistant that was headed in their direction.

***

“Captain Andor, please explain again why you did not bring this information back to the council?”

Bodhi rolled his eyes, visibly agitated, but desperately trying to hide it. Cassian didn’t blame him, this was the fourth variation of the same question that they’d been asked since the debrief began. Apparently the truth wasn’t an adequate response in the face of bureaucracy. 

“Senator, I believe we've been over this -”

Bodhi cut him off, eyes flashing as he stepped up to the holotable, Galen’s image frozen and flickering next to the blueprint of the Death Star, all suspended in the air between them. “We already _told_ you, there wasn’t time to come here and argue! The important thing is that we have the plans now and we can work toward finding a way to destroy this weapon.”

“And we should just take your word for it?” one of the council members, a squirrelly looking man that Cassian hadn't bothered learning the name of, asked. “An Imperial pilot, conveniently dropping all of this at our feet?”

“I _defected_! And you have the reports about Dantooine. Did I fabricate that as well? What benefit would any of that give me? Ignore this, and all of the people that died on that planet will have been for nothing. Let them get away with this, and Dantooine will only be the first.”

Chest heaving, Bodhi paused his speech, looking around the room. Two stood flanked just behind him, a towering gray protector that was intimidating at least half the council. Cassian wasn't sure if it lent credence to Bodhi's words, or made him look even more like an Imperial. 

The head of the council, Senator Mothma, spoke next, her voice calmly cutting through the muttering beginning to rise amongst the group. “I understand that you took a great risk in obtaining this information, Mr. Rook. And for that, I, at least, thank you. We will need to discuss our next actions very carefully. I only ask that you stay on base for the time being. I hope you understand.”

It was obvious that Bodhi didn't like being dismissed like that, but the words seemed to settle the riot rustling under his skin, at the very least, his answering nod deferential if a bit short. The Senator’s respectful tone went further than many of the other council members seemed to realize, especially when tension was high. Two was not as easily placated, his lazy stance straightening to show off his full height. “Is he a prisoner now?”

Mothma bit her lip, which was less than encouraging, her answer taking a moment to come out. “He is... our guest. Much like your original was when he first came to the Alliance. Security measures cannot be overlooked because of good intentions.”

Two moved forward, gears letting out a faint buzz of disuse, but Bodhi's hand closed around his wrist before he could make another comment. 

“I understand, Senator. Please, let me know if I can help in any other way.”

Taking Mothma’s answering nod as the dismissal it was, Bodhi turned and worked his way toward the back of the room, Two acting as his shadow and, after a pointed glance from Cassian, Kay following as well. Cassian turned and caught Draven’s own pointed gaze, inclining his head toward the exit. Draven began working his way out of the crowd, pausing to lean in and whisper something to Admiral Ackbar on his way past. 

There were certain things that Cassian could count on without fail. The Senators would argue, but Draven understood the need for action.

***

Bodhi slumped in the chair in Draven’s office, exhaustion clearly catching up with him. Cassian wanted to tell the General that they could do this later, once everyone had gotten the chance to sleep (and recharge, in the case of the droids), but he already knew what the answer would be.

“Alright, Andor. None of that bantha shit you fed the council. What happened and why do I have more than one infernal sass-bot in my office right now?”

Cassian fought back the smirk threatening to take over his face, waiting for the outburst that was sure to fly from Kay’s vocabulator at that comment. He didn’t have to wait long. 

“Infernal sass-bot? Well, it’s nice to know how you really perceive me, General. It’s not as if my contributions have saved Cassian’s missions on _several_ occasions or anything. Clearly, the only thing of value about me is my ability to annoy you.”

Bodhi snorted, face turned against his shoulder, eyes darting up to where Two had stationed himself against the wall. Two tilted his head to one side, then looked over to Draven, and finally to Cassian, who was waiting expectantly. 

“Oh. Yes, what he said. Seconded.”

Huh. Apparently being with Bodhi had affected Two’s programming further than Cassian had realized. Kay would never give up the opportunity to get in the last word. Cassian straightened in his own chair, turning his attention back to Draven, who was scrubbing a hand across his face and clearly trying to contain himself. 

“Sir. Kay and I met up with Bodhi and Two on Ord Cestra. We watched the message that Galen Erso had intended to send to Saw Gerrera, determined that there was an opportunity to get the information we needed -”

Draven slapped his hand down on his desk. “I know all this. Why didn’t you contact me before you went off on this _adventure_?”

“Plausible deniability.” Bodhi’s voice was unexpected, everyone turning toward him at the muttered words. He shrugged. “Can’t get in trouble for sending us if you don’t know we went. Sir.” The tacked on title was said with more than a little contempt, enough that Cassian wondered how Bodhi had flown under the radar for so long in the Empire. Maybe this side of him was only blossoming now, once the boot had been removed from his back. 

Before things could get tense, Cassian jumped back in. “In any case, we were able to get what we needed, without casualty.”

“I hardly call the entire planet of Dantooine ‘without casualty’, Captain. Although I suppose they were going to test the weapon at some point, regardless of your actions.”

Bodhi shifted in his seat, the sudden tension in his shoulders apparent even out of the corner of Cassian’s eye. Two took a step forward, but Draven ignored him, glancing down at his desk when his datapad pinged with a message notification. 

“Looks like they aren’t wasting any time. The Empire just released a ‘news report’ to the holonet on the destruction of Dantooine, linking it to the data breach on Scarif. Apparently, some ‘rebels’ are to blame. It’s propaganda, the lot of it, but the council will have to respond.”

He looked up, took in Two’s closer proximity, Bodhi’s hunched shoulders and twisted mouth, Cassian’s reticence. “Alright, fine. Can we discuss the droid issue then?”

Kay buzzed with annoyance. “Issue.”

Draven rolled his eyes. “Acquisition, then.”

Cassian stretched his arms out, tapped his fingers on his knees. “Bodhi may have… stolen it.”

None of Draven moved, except for his eyes, which slid over toward Bodhi. 

“We needed a body. They weren’t using it anyway, the Empire would rather scrap something that attempt to fix it,” Bodhi said sharply, frustration threaded through his voice. The words spoke to more than machinery though, combined with the destructive power of the Death Star. How many people were beyond what the Empire would count as salvageable? How many of their own would they sacrifice in a grasp toward a false peace?

Draven had more immediate concerns, his expression wary. “I assume you checked for any sort of tracking device?”

A hum of annoyed static filled the room, both Kay and Two talking at once. 

“I may have been constructed only twelve years ago, but I was hardly born yesterday.”

“Yes, clearly we abandoned our faculties along with our Imperial shuttle. And you think _Cassian_ is the one full of bantha excrement.”

Draven groaned and covered his face, talking through the spread of his fingers when he dragged them over his mouth. “Fine! What about him, then?” He gestured vaguely at Bodhi, slumping back in his chair. “Once they decide you’re not a threat, are you planning to stay here?”

Bodhi's shoulders straightened, a look of longing flashing over his face. Cassian knew that look well, that desire for a place to belong and a cause worth fighting for. He still saw it when he bothered to look in a mirror.

“I'd like to. I’m good at fixing things, and I can fly shuttles, move cargo for you. I failed out of TIE training, but I could probably handle an X-wing in a pinch.” Two made a noise, a low staticky sound that made Cassian look up sharply, but Bodhi kept going. “I have to see that thing destroyed, or die trying.”

Draven nodded, eyes blinking closed for just a moment before setting his mouth in a grim line. “Well, you're practically a rebel already with that attitude. We'll get you set up with a room, do an assessment once Mothma makes a decision.”

His datapad pinged again. “Might get your chance at a blaze of glory sooner than you'd like. They’ve sent Organa to pick up a Jedi.”

Cassian sat up straight in his chair, leaning forward to grip the edge of the desk. “They sent Bail?”

Draven's mouth twisted. “No. The princess.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the long delay in updating this! Hoping to get back into a writing groove, so encouragement is greatly appreciated. :-*

Bodhi tipped his head against the wall, yawning so widely that his jaw cracked, then looked over at Two with bleary eyes.

Two looked back, his optics unblinking. Bodhi was still getting used to having something - someone - specific to look at, but he was very familiar with the feeling of being watched.

“You should go to your quarters. Nurse Kalonia prescribed at least eight hours of rest along with the medication that you are hiding in your pocket.”

Bodhi rolled his shoulders and swallowed, nervous hands rubbing at his face. 

“M’fine.”

“I can detect your vitals. Lying to me only delays the inevitable.”

Bodhi let out a huff of air. “Not everything can be predicted by running an algorithm, Two.”

The tech performing maintenance on Two smirked and glanced between the two of them. “Feel like I'm missing something here,” she said, voice softer and lighter than Bodhi had expected from the appearance of her grease stained coveralls.

Two turned his head, optics dimming. “Your input is unnecessary, Sem. Please continue to run the diagnostics that I am supposed to be unaware of.”

Sem laughed, loud and brash and echoing in the maintenance bay. “Told ‘em you'd know.”

Bodhi stood up straight, alarm pulling him out of the haze of sleep and straight into panic. “What are you doing to him?” He looked around, searching for a weapon he could use if he had to, anything to get the two of them out of there before -

“Relax, Rook. I'm not hurting your boyfriend. Two and I - well, technically Kay and I, but… semantics - go way back. Let me disassemble his arm once, when I was training.” She grinned and patted Two on the shoulder as she talked, and Bodhi tried not to picture Two broken down to durasteel and wires. He mostly succeeded.

“Kay’s arm, and you updated his sensor array in exchange. Once I have had an opportunity to calibrate this body completely I may request a similar modification.” 

Two turned his gaze back to Bodhi, reaching out to poke him lightly in the chest. “There is no need for you to monitor my maintenance. Your own well-being is more important.”

Bodhi grumbled and leaned back against the wall. “Already here now, might as well wait until you're finished.” He didn't say that he was afraid to be alone again, that he'd gotten used to knowing Two was there, even when they couldn't see each other. He definitely didn’t say that he was afraid he’d wake up and find that this had all been some fever dream, his mind lost in the depths of Saw’s catacombs. 

Two hummed toward him, but didn’t comment any further, and while Sem finished her diagnostics, Bodhi let his heavy eyes drift closed under Two’s watchful gaze. 

*

Bodhi woke up, head sliding off of the cradle of Two’s arms and jolting him back into reality. “Wha- where’re we?”

“Please hold still or I will drop you. We are standing outside of your assigned quarters.”

Bodhi blinked, eyes drifting shut heavily only to snap back open again in a repeating cycle. Eventually he shook his head, reaching up to push at Two’s chest plate. “Put me down, Two. Didn’t need to carry me.”

Two complied, bending to lower Bodhi’s feet to the floor. “It was more efficient than trying to wake you. Besides, you need the rest.”

Bodhi leaned his forearm against the wall, bracing himself over the lock panel to the room the Rebellion had assigned him. He tapped in the code that he’d been given, and sagged with relief when the door slid open smoothly. 

Inside was small, but clean: a cot with some blankets folded on top, a short dresser pushed up against one wall, two stacks of clothes in muted tones piled on a chair in one corner. Bodhi walked inside, biting his lip as he looked around. “Home sweet home, I guess,” he said around a yawn, sitting down on the bed and leaning over to unclasp his boots. He probably needed a shower, judging by the less than pleasant smell that reached his nose when he slipped them off. 

Glancing up to find Two still standing in the doorway, Bodhi cleared his throat and sat up. “Are you - I mean. Will you come inside?” He took a breath and scrubbed at the back of his neck, speaking quietly. “I’d like it if you would stay, Two.”

Two tilted his head to one side in consideration, then stepped in, the door sliding shut behind him. “Of course. I will… keep watch.” 

On the shuttle, Bodhi’s quarters were the only place that he had specifically kept Two separate from. But here? Now? He couldn’t fathom the idea of Two being out of his sight. It was a sobering thought, and one that Bodhi held close in his chest as he laid down on the cot and closed his eyes. 

Things would be clear again in the morning.

***

Two watched Bodhi’s eyes blink closed, his sensors sorting through the influx of data. Heart rate elevated. Breathing shallow, but improving. Temperature slightly below normal, but within accepted range. Two’s arms were still warm from where Bodhi had curled against him, the walk from maintenance to the guest quarters long enough for his body heat to seep into Two’s durasteel frame. 

Logically, he knew it was just a matter of physics. Heat sink and the way humans readjusted to planetary atmosphere instead of a manufactured one. Some other side of Two - perhaps the more human side - clung to the idea of some part of Bodhi lingering with him. Now that they were out of immediate danger, Two was certain that Bodhi’s interest in him would wane. It was only a matter of time, really.

***

Things were not clear in the morning. They were even less clear three days later when Mon Mothma pronounced Bodhi as an official ‘non-threat’, free to move throughout the base without security escort. 

He spent most of those three days debriefing and sharing everything he knew about the Empire with one of Draven’s underlings. By now, most of his clearances would be useless, but he knew enough protocol to, hopefully, give the rebellion a little more insight. 

Two spent the time as Bodhi’s shadow, his presence both comfort and confusion alike. The longer he spent in Two’s company, the more he found himself reaching out for the droid, casual touches that lingered a moment too long to be classified as such. He couldn’t reconcile this to stress or misplaced gratitude any longer. He couldn’t quite give it a name either, so different from any other experience with attraction than he’d felt in the past. His only certainty was that being around Two felt right. He hoped it would last.


End file.
